Cigarette vending machine



vApril 12, 1955 E. c. JENNER 2,706,028

CIGARETTE VENDING MACHINE Filed Sepi. 28, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet l 52 .97 M /0 52 111111111/ lll a lllllllllll/IIMI' XIIII ATTORNE www. [j

Aprll 12, 1955 E. c. JENNER 2,706,028

CIGARETTE VENDING MACHINE Filed Sept. 28, 1955 2 Sheecs--Shee` 2 s INVENTOR.

e/ 6de/Me I A TTONEK United States Patent Egbert Jenner, Independiente., Mo. Application September 28, 1953, Serial No. 382,775

.7 Claims- -(.C,l. .19d-.2)

e, a initially dispensing. asinale .cigarette to e `eilstiernelr `each time he purchases and receives a package o f cigarettes.

It .is un ,important Object of the present invention te pr" vide e cigarette vendinsmachine that may be essecia d with a napkin holder or the like on a restaurant unterertble and which includes e eebinet for receivn not only e steek. ,et .0i-serene packages but a Single package, making available cigarettes .therewithin for matie .vending une at e tune as `the packages are reglytrern thestaektherebelow.

#another .ebieet .of theinventiun .is t provide a vendingmachine for cigarettes having a means for vending sigaret-.tes individually, thereby pennnune .the advertising tu. the pursheser through sampling. another kind of ersaeti lerfepnimudity Ythan there sold threush the .machine in @theses which Ineens is Coupled with the p rnnery foryendinsthe peekesesefeigeretteslm such. individual. cigarettes, or eeinnredity may l? .idly upon insertion of a suitable com. ...ther @hiep nelude .the wey in which the cigarette redding .rnaehiue is equipped with en elector plate haying e rough.. uppermost .surfer-e supporting the stack of cigarette packages for withdrawing the lowermostipackage each time the prim-apy spin control mechamsm 1s operated; the way in which a coin-receivlng plate actuator or plunger is automatically restricted so far as 1nward movement is concerned whenever the same 1s operated in absence of a coin; the manner in which the apparatus for limiting movement of the actuator also operably engages the ejector plate to prevent outward'movement of the latter; and many additional objects 1nclud ing important details of construction, all of which will be made clear as the following specification progresses.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a front elevational view of a c1g'are tte vending machine made pursuant to my present 1nvent1 on, parts being broken away to reveal details of construction.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal, vertical, cross-sectlonal View taken on line II-II of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, detailed, cross-sectional Vlew taken on line III- lll of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a vertical, cross-sectional view taken on line IV-IV of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on line V--V of Fi 2.

iig. 6 is a fragmentary, cross-sectional View. taken on irregular line VI-Vl of Fig. 5.

An elongated, upright cabinet, broadly designated by the numeral 10, is clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings and formed to present a compartment 12 for storage of a number of packages of cigarettes 14,

`stacked upon an ejector plate 16 carried by the cabinet for horizontal reciprocation. This cabinet 10 may advantageously be associated with a napkin holder 13 that usually forms a part of the standard equipment of restaurant tables and counters.

A downwardly and forwardly inclined partition 18 within the cabinet 10, defines a chamber 20 thereabove adapted to receive a single package 22 of cigarettes 24. Package 22 is normally opened when placed in the chamber 20 so that the cigarettes 24 thereof will gravitate toward a chute 26 exteriorly of the cabinet 10 and constituting an extension of the partition 18. The top wall 28 fcc 2 of. the .cabinet V1l) is Preferably transparent .so that. an observer .may .see .that seal 3.0 .of the package 422 vhas been broken.

.Au access opening in .the back .of .the .cabinet 1.0 is provided t0 lpenn-it replenishing of the packages :14 and the single package 2.2, which .access open-ins .is normally closed by a `swinaable. door 32.

he .individual cigarettes .24 adapted te sravitete. along the partition .18 'toward the chute 26, .are normally held against such movement by .a cradle .S4 swinaably mounted within the cabinet l0 and yieldably held in the position illustrated in Fia 2. ef the drawings by e Spring 3.6- Spring 36 interconnects the cabinet 1.0. and a laterally .eX- tending arm 38 depending from the cradle 34 and against the innermost end `of a guide. channel 40 for s manual Slide 4.2..

Channel. 4b is provided with a slot 44 (see .Fig- 3) for receiving a coin 46 which, vwhen inserted. .in the slot d4, tney 'be brought against the. arrn 38 by inward moyement of the slide 42 to swing the cradle 3,4 to a lposition permitting a single 4:,:igarette -24 to roll from the chamber 20 into the rchute 26 where the same is accessible to the customer. When the coin 46 reaches the innermost end of the guide channel .40, it drops into a passageway 48 (see Figs. l and 5) to a coin collection boX 5.0 formins ,e part of cabinet lil, it being noted that the coins rnzey be removed from the .box Sti upon upennsof. door A sheet of sandpaper, emery cloth .01T @ther frictionable materiel Si, is provided 0n. the uppermost tace oi ejector plate 16 and upon which the lowermost package 14 Of Cigarettes annually rests. Thus, when. the. plete 16 is shifted alena Opposed tracks. .52-` outwardly or :to the eft., viewing Fiss- 2, .5 and .6, the vsaid. lnwermost pack` eee le will be withdrawn from benen h lthe stack through en outlet Opening 5d .formed .inthe cabinet-10.;

An elongated. .link Se swinsably mounted as. at 5.8. within the passageway 43 of; cabinet 10, is attached to the plate 16 by a pivot pin 6h and connected at its uppermost end with. the .erm 38 by en element 62 so that the cradle v31,4. is actuated automatically each time the eieirplate 16 iS Withdrawn .freni the position .shown Yin liis-l 2.. Theelenrent 62 .is preierablyilexible so that the .cradle ,3.4 may be operated independently of the plate 16 upon insertion of coins 46 in slot 44.

The plate 16 slides upon a horizontal wall 64 immediately below tracks 52, the latter of which take the form of grooves, and a slide panel 66 spaced below the wall 64 defines the uppermost wall of coin box 5t). The panel 66 is provided with a hole 68 and slidably receives a plunger or actuating member 70 for the plate 16. Member 70 is provided with a coin-receiving perforation 72 disposed for alignment with coin clearance hole 68 when the member 7i) is shifted inwardly toward a stop 74. A spring 76 interconnecting the member 70 on the cabinet 10, yieldably holds the member 70 biased at the outermost end of its path of travel.

The mechanism for operably interconnecting the plate 16 and the plunger member 70 is located in its entirety between the plate 16 and the member 70 or the panel 66. It includes a pinion 7S rotatably mounted on the panel 66, together with a first rack 8i! secured to the lowermost face of plate 16 and a second rack 82 mounted on the upper face of member 7G. Rack 8i) is in mesh with the pinion 73 and the rack 32 moves into meshing engagement therewith when the plunger 70 is moved inwardly toward the stop 74.

Apparatus for forcing utilization of a coin in the perforation '72 in order to operate the ejector plate 16 by use of member 70, is likewise located between the Wall 64 and the panel 66. lt includes an elongated bar 84 mounted on a shaft 86 for swinging movement on a horizontal axis and yieldably biased toward one end of its path of travel by a leaf spring 88 on the stop 74.

When the member 7) is moved inwardly in absence of a coin within the perforation 72, spring 88 will automatically force an ear 90 into the perforation 72 and thereby prevent further inward movement of the member 70. Simultaneously, a lug 92 on the opposite end of the bar 84 moves into a cavity 94 within the plate 16 to prevent outward movement of the latter.

In normal operation, a coin is inserted in the perforation 72 and the operator moves the plunger 70 inwardly untll lthe rack 82 meshes with the pinion 78. Such coin slides beneath the ear 90 preventing operation of the locking apparatus until it is discharged into the box 50 by way of the clearance hole 68. Further inward movement of the plunger 70-rotates the pinion 78 by operation of rack S2 and such rotation of pinion 78 in turn shifts the rack 80 in the opposite direction to move the plate 16 outwardly along groove tracks 52. By virtue of the roughened nature of the uppermost surface of plate 16 through the material 51, the lowermost pack 14 of cigarettes will be pulled through the opening S4 to a position where the same may be grasped and entirely removed from the cabinet 10.

Simultaneously, with outward movement of the plate 16the link 56 will be swung on its pivot S8 to pull outelement 62, thereby swinging the arm 38 inwardly and actuating the cradle 34 to eject a single cigarette 24 into the chute 26.

Springs 36 and 76 will automatically return the cradle 34 and the plunger member 70 respectively to the normal position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings when the plunger 70 is thereupon released by the operator.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. In a cigarette vending machine, a cabinet; a horizontally reciprocable ejector plate carried by the cabinet and having a rough, uppermost surface, said cabinet having a compartment for storage of a number of packages of cigarettes on said ysurface of the plate, there being an outlet opening in the cabinet above the plate in alignment with the lowermost package of said stack; a partition in the cabinet terminating in a chute exteriorly of the cabinet and deiining a chamber thereabove for receiving a single package of cigarettes, said partition being inclined for gravitation of cigarettes toward the chute from the single package when the latter is open; a cigarette-receiving cradle disposed to normally hold the cigarettes of the single package within the chamber; means mounting said cradle in the cabinet for swinging movement to and from a position releasing cigarettes singly from the chamber to said chute; and structure operably connecting the plate with the cradle for swinging the latter to said position each time the plate is moved to one end of its path of travel to withdraw a package of cigarettes from said compartment through the outlet opening.

2. A cigarette vending machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said structure includes a link swingably secured to l4 the cabinet and pivotally joined to the plate, and an element coupling the cradle with the link, said'element being flexible to permit swinging of the cradle to and from said position independently of the plate.

3. A cigarette vending machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cradle is provided with a lateral arm depending therefrom, and wherein means is provided to force a coin into the cabinet and against the arm to swing the cradle to said position, and resilient means interconnecting the arm and the cabinet for yieldably holding the cradle biased in its normal cigarette-holding position.

4. A cigarette vending machine as set forth in claim 1 wherein is provided a plate-actuating member reciprocably carried by thecabinet, and mechanism between the plate and the member for operably interconnecting the same to move the plate to vsaid one end of its path of travel upon movement of the member inwardly into the cabinet.

5. A cigarette vending machine as set forth in claim 4 wherein said mechanism comprises a pinion rotatably carried by the cabinet between the plate and the member, a first rack mounted on the lowermost face of the plate in mesh with the pinion, and a second rack mounted on the uppermost face of the member in alignment with the pinion for meshing engagement therewith upon inward movement of the member.

6. A cigarette vending machine as set forth in claim 4 wherein said cabinet has a slide panel underlying the member and provided with a coin clearance hole, there being a coin-receiving perforation in the member disposed for alignment with the hole upon movement of the member toward the innermost end of its path of travel, and apparatus carried by the cabinet for movement into the perforation when the latter is moved inwardly in absence of a coin in the perforation to limit the extent of inward movement of the member.

7. A cigarette vending machine as set forth in claim 6 wherein said apparatus includes a bar swingably mounted in the cabinet between the plate and the member and having an ear on one end thereof engageable in said perforation when the bar swings to one end of its path of travel, there being a cavity in the plate and a lug on the opposite end-0f the bar, said lug extending into the cavity when the ear is in the perforation, and resilient means mounted in the cabinet and engaging the bar for yieldably holding the same biased toward said one end of its path of travel.l

No references cited. 

